Governor for water-wheels.



No. 679,353. Patentedluly '30, I90I. E. E. WUDDWARD.

GOVERNOR FOR WATER WHEELS,

(Application filed Dec. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

flfj-e ue y; 7 107142177 aam mam No; 679,353, Patented July 30, mm.

E. E. WOODWARD. I

GOVERNOR FOR WATER WHEELS.

(Application filed Dec. 8, 1900.)

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

THE Nona Pmns 00 mofouma, WASNINGYON. n c.

No. 679,353. Patented July 30, I901.

E. E. wodnwAnn.

q GOVERNOR FUR WATEB WHEELS. Q (Application filed Dec. 8, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 WZQ JGJI' bra/6117: 1 gm a, M

T E nonms PEIERE so. mmau'rnou wAsnmm-cu a c UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

ELMER E. WVOODWARD, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

GOVERNOR FOR WATER-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 679,353, dated July 30, 1901.

Application filed December 8, 1900- $erial No. 39,245. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELMER E. WooDWARD, a citizen of the United States,residingat Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Governors for W'ator-Wheels and other Motors, of which the following is a specification.

Governors of this class consist, essentially, of mechanism (frequently in the form of a friction-clutch) for applying power to open or close the valve or gate which admits water to the water-wheel and of a device (usually a pair of centrifugal balls) for controlling the operation of said mechanism. While such a governor works well in many cases, it is not as sensitive as desired where very hard working gates are to be controlled, especially with the friction type of governor, as too great a change of speed is necessary to cause the centrifugal balls to bring sufficient pressure upon the friction-clutch to cause the latter to operate the valve or gate. With this class of governor in order to have the mechanism act quickly it also is necessary to provide some kind of compensating device to check the J movement of the governor when the gate has been opened or closed sufficiently to balance the change of load, and thus to prevent what is known as racingl The object of this invention is therefore to provide an extremely sensitive controlling device for water-Wheel governors which shall positively and powerfully engage the friction or other clutch mechanism when the change of load requires the position of the gate to be altered; also, in connection therewith an improved form of compensating mechanism for arresting the movement of the governor when the gate-has been moved the required distance, but before the speed of the water-wheel has been returned to the normal rate.

In the embodiment herein shown of this invention a friction-disk governor having the usual centrifugal balls or weights is suitably connected with the gate to operate the same.

Two tappet-arms fixed on a saddle pivotally supported are adapted to engage opposite sides of a constan tly-rotated'cam, one or the other of said arms being brought into contact with said cam by the raising or the lowering of the balls. The movement of said tappetment of said gate-operating shaft, so that said cam is withdrawn from engagement with the tappet-arms before said engagement would otherwise be broken by the action of the centrifugal balls.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of agovernor embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, showing the controlling mechanism in section on dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the governor. Fig. 4 is a side'elevation of one of the tappet-arms secured to its supporting saddle-block and the spring for holding the tappet-arms elevated. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the saddle-block, the tappet-arms, and their actuating cam-wheel. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the governor-spindle, showing the means of connecting the centrifugal balls therewith.

Like letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts throughout the several views.

In the construction of this governor I provide a supporting-frame A, having the bearings A for the gate-operating shaft and similar bearings A for the friction-disk shaft. An upright standard A for supporting the speed-regulator and the compensating mechanism is secured by any suitable means to the supporting-frame A and forms a part thereof. At its upper end the standard A has a transverse top portion A, one end of which is adapted to support the centrifugal balls, and the other end is provided with one of the two vertically-alined bearings A On 7 later herein.

IOO

The gate-operating shaft B is connected in any suitable manner, as by means of the beveled gear B, with the vertical shaft B which extends to the gate, and which latter by means of the hand-wheel B is capable of independent manual operation. B is a bevelgear fixed on the end of the shaft B, and B and B are spur-gears fixed on said shaft between the bearings A.

The friction-disk shaft 0 is journaled in the bearings A of the supporting-frame A. It extends parallel with the gate operating shaft B and has between its bearings A the sleeves O and C loosely mounted on said shaft. These sleeves are provided with the annular flanges or collars 0 adjacent to the inner ends of the bearings A the retainingclips A of the supporting-frame A lying in contact with said annular flanges, and, holding them against the inner faces of the journal-bearings A prevent a movement of said sleeves lengthwise of the shaft 0. The opposite ends of each of the sleeves O and (J bear friction-disks O and C respectively, each of said disks being rigidly fixed on the inner end of its supporting-sleeve. Midway between the friction-disk O and the annular collar 0 the sleeve 0 bears the spur-pinion O rigidly mounted on said sleeve, the sleeve 0 being also provided with a spur-pinion O in a similar position. The spur-pinion C meshes directly with the spur-gear B and the pinion O with the gear 13 through the intermediate idler-gear C rotatably mounted on the supporting-frame A. Outside of the supporting-frame the shaft 0 has the two collars rigidly fixed on said shaft and between them the shipper-collar 0 loosely mounted on the shaft 0. A double-faced friction-wheel C is rigidly mounted on the shaft 0 between the corresponding friction-disks C and O and shifting mechanism, to be later described,

connected with the loose collar C is adapted to throw the friction-Wheel G into frictional engagement with either one of the disks C and O \Vhen the shaft 0 is moved longitudinally in the direction to throw the frictionwheel G into "contact with the friction-disk C the gate-operating shaft B is rotated by means of its spur-gear connection with the sleeve 0', and when the shaftC is moved longitudinallyso that the friction-wheel C contacts the disks 0 the gate-operating shaft B is rotated in a contrary direction by means of the pinion C the idler-pinion C and the spur-pinion B on the shaft '13. The shaft (3 and the friction-WheelC are constantly driven in the direction of the arrow on the latter (see Fig. 1)'hya belt passing from any convenientpart of the mechanism over the pulley C The standard A for the controlling device has at its upper end the usual governor-head D, provided with centrifugal weights D',"pivotauy mounted thereon and connected'in the usual manner'with the governor-spindle D within the tubular governor-shaft D The clamp G the cam-wheel is rotated.

governor-shaft D is rotated by the bevelgears D through the pulley D The governor-spindle D rests at its lower end upon the saddle-block D, and this block is carried upon the horizontally-pivoted arm D of the bracket D. This bracket is fixed on the upper end of the vertical shaft E, which also carries at its lower end the shipping-fork E, fixed to said shaft E, and having, by means of the pins E an engagement with the loose collar 0 of the shaft 0. It will thus be seen that the oscillation of the vertical shaft E produces, by means of said connection, a longitudinal movement of the shaft 0 sufficient to move the friction-wheel G into contact with either one of the friction-disks C and C The arm D rests upon the downwardly-extending pin E which pin extends through an opening E in the bracket D and is surrounded below said bracket by the helical extension-spring E A hollow stud E threaded to correspond with the pitch'of the spring, has a tubular stem E screw-threaded to correspond with the internally-threaded opening E said stem being intended to secure the and has the wing-head E for turning said pin. A stud E externally threaded to correspond with the pitch of the spring E is also internally screw-threaded to receive the pin E This stud holds the lower end of said spring and causes it to be extended by a downward pressure upon the pin A vertical shaft F, capable of a longitudinal movement, is mounted in thebearings A of the standard A and has fixed on its upper end the pulley F,0'ver which the belt F runs from the governor-shaft D to the vertical shaft F. The lower end of the vertical shaft F carries the friction-disk Fiand midway between the bearings A has the camwheel F also fixed on said shaft F. This cam-wheel has a cam-scroll F upon each its upper and its under face, which scroll extends from a point near the center to the periphery of the cam.

pet the free end of a fiat spring G rests. The

other end of this spring is secured to the outer side of the tappet-arm by means of the clamp G the tendency of the spring being to lie in contact with the tappet-arm and hold the tappetinward. The length of said springs is adjusted by changing the position of the The tappets G are adapted to engage the 'cam-scrolls F and ride thereon as The scrolls move the tapp'ets outward against the action of their springs G said springs cushioning the pressure of the cam-scrolls F upon the tappets G A bracket II, in yoke form, is secured to the side of the standard A and supports in the bearing-blocks H the inclined shaft H provided with a left-hand thread. Collars H provided with the notches H are fixed on said shaft H and provide means for stopping the travel of the friction wheel H mounted on said shaft, the hub of said wheel being internally screw-threaded to correspond with the screw-threads upon the shaft H Said hub is also provided with projections H adapted to engage the notches H of the collars H to limit the movement of said friction-wheel H longitudinally of the shaft H The periphery of the friction-wheel H supports the friction-disk F The shaft H bears at one of its ends the bevel-gears H adapted to mesh with the corresponding gear B so that the shaft H is rotated whenever motion is imparted to the gate-shaft B.

In operation the gate is opened by means of the hand-wheel B turning the shaft B in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. A belt is passed over the pulley C to communicate motion from any moving part of the machinery to the shaft 0. Rotary motion is also imparted to the governor-head by a belt passing over the pulley D from any rotating part of the machinery, and the centrifugal balls are actuated. The shaft F is constantly revolved by means of the belt F passing over the pulley F and the tubular shaft D of the governor. The friction-Wheel H will be turned upon the threaded shaft H by the frictiondisk F until said wheel is fed to the center of said disk, where it will stand until the gate-operating shaft B is rotated. As the speed of the machinery increases above the normal rate the centrifugal balls D fly farther outward from their supporting-shaft D pushing downward upon the governor-spindle D The end of this spindle resting upon the saddle-block D causes the block to be depressed, pushing the pin E downward within the helical spring E and extending the latter. The tappet-arms G and G being rigidly secured to the saddle-block are likewise depressed, the upper arm G being pushed downward until the tappet G in its outer end is brought into contact with the cam-scroll F on the upper surface of the cam F". This cam-scroll throws the tappet-arm G outward, turning the saddle-block and its supporting-arm with the oscillatory shaft E, and by means of the shipping-fork E, connecting the shaft E with the shaft 0, moves the latter shaft longitudinally in its bearings from right to left, Fig. 2. The double-face friction-wheel G is thereby thrown into contact with the frictiondisk 0. The disk 0 is thus caused to rotate with the friction-Wheel C The spur-pinion C is turned, meshing with and rotating the spur-gear B revolving the shaft 13, and turning the vertical shaft B in a direction contrary to that indicated by the arrows on said shaft in the drawings. The rotation just described of the shaft 13 was communicated by means of the bevel-pinion H to the inclined screw-threaded shaft H and the friction- Wheel H was fed downward upon said inclined shaft by means of its screw-thread engagement therewith. This downward movement of the friction-wheel I-l lowered the frictiondisk F and its shaft F, Withdrawing the cam-wheel F from engagement with the tappet G of the tappet-arm G. As soon as the tappet-arm is withdrawn from its engagement with the scroll-surface of the cam by the movement of the cam or the tappet-arm the friction-wheel O is free from its contact with the disk 0 and the rotation imparted to the shaft B is therefore suspended. If load is added to the water-wheel, the rate of rotary motion of the balls D is diminished and said balls descend, raising the governorspindle D and permitting the helical spring E to throw the tappet-arm G upward, so that its tappet G engages with the lower camscroll of the cam-wheel F. The rotation of the cam-wheel throws the tappet-arm G outward, oscillating the shaft F, and by means of the fork E shifts the shaft 0 longitudinally within its bearings. This longitudinal movement of the shaft 0 throws the doubleface friction-wheel G into contact with the friction-disk C causing the said disks 0 and C to rotate together. Rotary motion is thus imparted by means of the pinion C the idler-pinion C and the spur-gear B to the shaft B, rotating said shaft and turning the vertical gate-operating shaft in a direction to open the gate, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The rotation thus imparted to the shaft B is communicated to the inclined screw-threaded shaft H said shaft being turned in a direction contrary to that indicated by the arrow on the bevel-pinion 13 Fig. 1. As a consequence the friction-wheel H was fed upward on the screw-threads of said shaft, raising the cam F out of engagement with the tappet G of the tappet-arm G, permitting the friction-wheel O to release its engagement with the friction-disk 0 thus stopping the rotation of the shaft B, and consequently the movement of the gate.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the position of the centrifugal balls determines the movement of the gate, while the friction-wheel H and disk F constitute. a part of the mechanism that controls the action of said centrifugal balls. The frictionwheel I-I bears normally upon the center of the constantly-rotating disk F and consequently receives no motion therefrom. Any movement of the gate-operating shaft raises or lowers the cam-wheel F and if that movement is sufficiently great the cam-wheel F is moved away from the tappet-arin with which it was in engagement. The action of the device thus is to check the movement of the gate in either direction before it otherwise would be stopped by the action of the balls.

If the stopping of the gate were deferred until it was accomplished by the action of the balls, it would stop only after the normal speed of the machinery had been reached and passed. This would produce the so-called racing, which it is one of the objects of this invention to avoid.

I claim as my invention 1. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a valve-operating means; and a controlling mechanism therefor, which controlling mechanism comprises a speed-regulator, a cam, and means adapted to be actuated by said cam, to assist the speed-regulator in controlling the valve.

2. In a water-wheel governor, in combina tion, a valve-operating means; and a control-- ling mechanism therefor, which controlling mechanism comprises a speed-regulator, a cam, and a tappet for engaging said cam.

3. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a valve-operating means; and a controlling mechanism therefor, which controlling mechanism comprises a speed-regulator and a compensating mechanism, the latter comprising a cam and a tappet.

4:. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a valve-operating means; and a controlling mechanism therefor, which mechanism comprises a speed-regulator, a cam, and tappets therefor, and a compensating device actuated by the valve-operating means, adapted to assist the speed-regulator to actuate the valve-operating means.

5. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a valve-operating means; and a controlling mechanism therefor, which mechanism comprises a speed-regulator and a compensating device, said compensating device comprisinga cam and tappets and a device actuated by the valve-operating means adapted to bodily move the cam.

6. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a clutch adapted to operate the powervalve; a tappet-arm adapted to operate said clutch; a rotatable cam; and a speed-regulator adapted to move the tappet-arln with relation to said cam.

7. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a valve-operating means; and a controlling mechanism for the valve operating means, said controlling mechanism comprising a speed-regulator, a cam and tappets, and a compensating device, the latter actuated by the valve-operating means and adapted to as sist the speed-regulator in controlling the valve.

8. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a speed-regulator; a valve-operating means controlled by the speed-regulator; and a compensating device actuated by the valveoperating means, and adapted to assist the speed-regulator in controlling the valve,which compensating device comprises a rotatable cam, tappets, and means actuated by the valve-operating means for bodily moving said cam and for rotating it. I

9. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a valve-operating means; a speed-regulator; and a compensating device actuated by the valve-operating means, the latter adapted to assist the speed-regulator in controlling the valve, which compensating device comprises a cam and tappets, a screw-threaded shaft, a friction-wheel having a screw-thread engagement with said shaft, a friction-disk for the friction-wheel, said screw-threaded shaft being placed at an angle with said disk, and means for rotating said screw-threaded disk with the valve-operating means.

10. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a speed-regulator; a valveoperating means controlled by the speed-regulator; and a compensating mechanism comprising a cam, a cam-shaft, and tappets, also a screw-threaded shaft, a friction wheel having a screwthread engagement with said shaft, a frictiondisk for the friction-wheel, which disk is fixed on said cam-shaft, the screw-threaded shaft being placed at an angle with said disk, and means for rotating said screw-threaded shaft with the valve-operating means.

11. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a speed-regulator; a valve operating means controlled by the speed-regulator and a compensating mechanism comprising a cam, tappet-arms, an inclined screwthreaded shaft, a friction-wheel on said shaft, a friction-disk for said friction-wheel, and means for rotating saidshaft when the power-valve is operated, to move said cam and assist the speed-regulator to release said mechanism.

12. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a speed-regulator; two friction-disks for operating a power-valve; a friction-wheel for said disks; a tappet-arm adapted to move said friction-wheel into contact with either one of said friction-disks; a cam for moving said tappet-arm; and means for moving said cam bodily to assist the speed-regulator in controlling the power-valve.

13. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a speed-regulator; two friction-disks for operating a power-valve; a friction-wheel for said disks; a tappet-arm adapted to move said friction-wheel into contact with either one of said friction-disks; a cam for moving said tappet-arm; an inclined screw-threaded shaft; a friction-wheel for said shaft; a fric tion-disk; and means for rotating said screwthreaded shaft when the power-valve is operated, to withdraw said cam from engagement with said tappet-arm.

14. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a speed-regulator; two friction-disks for operating a power-valve; a constantly-rotated friction-wheel between said disks, capable of being placed in engagement with either one of said disks; a tappet-arm adapted to move said friction-wheel; a cam for moving said arm; a shaft for said cam; a friction-disk on said shaft; a screw-threaded shaft placed at an angle with the face of said last-mentioned friction-disk; a friction-wheel for said screw threaded shaft, adapted to engage said friction-disk; and means for rotating the screwthreaded shaft when the power-valve is operated, to withdraw said cam from engagement with said tappet-arm.

15. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a speed-regulator two friction-disks for operating a power-valve; a constantly-rotated friction-wheel between said disks, capable of being placed in engagement with either one of the disks; two tappet-arms adapted to move said friction-wheel; a cam for engaging said tappet-arms; a shaft for said cam; a frictiondisk on said shaft; a screw-threaded shaft placed at an angle with the face of said lastmentioned friction-disk; a friction-wheel for said screw-threaded shaft, adapted to engage said friction-disk; a gate-operating shaft and a rotatable connection between the firstmentioned friction-disks and said gate-operating shaft, and between the screw-threaded shaft and said gate-operating shaft.

16. In a Water-wheel governor, in combination, a speed-regulator; a friction-disk shaft; two friction-disks loosely mounted on said shaft; a friction-wheel fixed on said shaft between said friction-disks; a gate-operating shaft; a rotatable connection between one of said friction-disks and said gate-operating shaft, to rotate the shaft in one direction; a rotatable connection between the other friction-disk and the gate-operating shaft, to rotate the said shaft in a contrary direction; tappet-arms for moving the friction-disk shaft to throw the friction-wheel into engagement with either one of said friction-disks; a cam for engaging said tappet-arms; a shaft for said cam; a friction-disk on said shaft; a friction-wheel having contact with said friction-disk; an inclined screw-threaded shaft for said friction-wheel; and means for rotating the screw-threaded shaft when the powervalve is operated, to raise or lower the cam from engagement with the tappet-arms.

1'7. In a water-wheel governor, in combination, a shaft for operating a power-valve; a speed-regulator; a friction-disk shaft; two friction-disks loosely mounted on said shaft; a friction-wheel between said friction-disks, fixed on said shaft; a spur-gear connection between one of said friction-disks and the shaft for operating the power-valve, to rotate said shaft in one direction; a similar connection between the other friction-disk and said shaft, to rotate said shaft in a contrary direction; a shipping device for throwing the fric tion-wheel into contact with either one of said friction disks; a supporting-shaft for the shipping device; a bracket at the upper end of said shipping device; an arm pivotally mounted on said bracket; a saddle on said arm; two tappet-arrns fixed with relation to said saddle; a spindle for the speed-regulator, the lower end of which spindle rests upon said saddle; a spring for holding the saddle elevated; a cam between the outer ends of said tappet-arms a shaft for said cam; a friction-disk on said shaft; a friction-wheel for said disk; a screw-threaded shaft for said friction-wheel, which said screw-threaded shaft is inclined with relation to the bearingface of its friction-disk; and a gear connection between the power-Valve-operating shaft and the inclined screw-threaded shaft.

ELMER E. \VOODWARD. Witnesses:

BERTHA M. I'IYER, FRED L. HUNT. 

